Welcome to BBC Learning english dot com.

I'm Jackie Dalton.

Today's program is all about giving and understanding directions.

Our reporter Helen is new to London and has been out asking people for directions to various different places.

We'll take a look at some of the key phrases that come up as she tries to find her way around.

Let's start with a simple one.

Can you tell me how to get to the nearest toilet, toilet?

Yes.

You just go down the stairs here, turn right and it's just on your right, nice and easy.

Turn right or turn left.

A simple way of telling people in which direction they should go.

And if you want to describe the position of a particular place in relation to the person, you can say it's on your right or on your left.

Let's listen to that clip once more.

Can you tell me how to get to the nearest toilet?

Just go down the stairs here, turn right and it's just on your right.

Now.

Listen out for a slightly different way of telling someone to turn left or right.

That's another way of telling someone to go in a particular direction.

Earlier we heard the phrase turn right or turn left.

You could also say take a left or take a left, turn a word that's already come up five times is just listen to how it's used toilet.

Yes.

You just go down the stairs here, turn right and it's just on your right, just as a sort of filler and a way of suggesting that what the person has to do isn't difficult.

Just go down the stairs somehow sounds easier than go down the stairs.

Listen again, you just go down the stairs here, turn right and it's just on your right.

One thing that can be confusing when it comes to directions is the use of the word right.

Listen to this clip, the word right is used in three different ways.

Yeah, yeah, you just go to the left and right and take the second, right, around the left and right.

Let's break that down.

Simple enough, go right means the same as turn right or take a right.

What about here, go right up there could be interpreted in two different ways and even a native english speaker could get confused here, the man could have meant turn right or he could have meant go all the way up there, go right up there, go all the way up there.

We say things like go right to the end of the road to mean go all the way to the end of the road, very different from taking a right turn.

A clue is often in the prepositions if you're telling someone to turn, it often comes with a preposition at for example, go right at the main road, whereas the preposition up, go right up the main road tends to mean go all the way up the main road, but if you're not sure, just ask.

So that's two different uses of right.

What about the third garden will just be right in front of you.

He could also have said Covent garden will be directly in front of you or immediately in front of you.

It's not far away right in front of you in this context means it's not far away.

Let's listen to the next set of directions.

Listen out for an expression in this clip, which means it's very easy to see.

I was wondering if I could ask you how to get to the nearest tube station you could use home and tube station which is straight down the street to turn right and keep going up King's way.

And did you spot the expression you won't miss.

It is a nice way of saying, it's very easy to see.

Now listen to the beginning of this sentence keep going is a good way of telling someone they'll have to walk or drive for a while before they get to a certain point.

Let's end with a couple of questions to check.

You've understood some of today's language which is correct.

The building is at your right or the building is on your right.

The second is correct.

We use the preposition on the building is on your right, which of these would be a correct way of telling someone to turn left, take a left or have a left.

The first one is correct, have a left, doesn't make sense.

Take a left is fine, which of these phrases means turn right, go right to the end of the road, or go right at the end of the road.

The second one with the preposition at means turn right, go right up the road.

Usually means go all the way up the road, that's all for now.

But keep practicing your english with our quizzes, games and programs on BBC learning english dot com.